The holiday season is a busy time of year, and you may be tempted to sacrifice your workout to free up more time for Christmas shopping or holiday parties with friends. Before you cancel too many workouts, though, consider what happens to your body and mind when you stop exercising.
If you’re thinking of taking a break from your workout regimen and starting over with a New Year’s Resolution next month, consider the negative effects on your body and mind. Even during the holiday season, you can take steps to make sure you have time to fit in your workout. Plan a workout or a group exercise class before work to eliminate any scheduling conflicts later in the day. If you don’t have time for a full-scale workout, make the most of what time you do have by throwing in a HIIT workout to maximize your time and the value of your workout.
When 2017 rolls in, you’ll be in great shape to tackle even more challenging resolutions!
- Increased blood pressure. You might see your blood pressure increase within just two weeks of non-activity. If you’ve been working out regularly, your overall physical health has likely improved. If you take a hiatus during the holiday season, it doesn’t take long for those positive benefits to begin
- Decreased strength. It likely took you much longer than one month to build up the increased strength that you fought hard to gain. Within just one month of inactivity, though, your body will start to lose strength and muscle mass.
- Loss of cardiovascular fitness. Within just two to four weeks, you may notice a decline in cardiovascular fitness. Taking a break from your exercise regimen reduces your body’s efficiency in delivering oxygen to your muscles. Your body’s ability to effectively and efficiently transmit oxygen to your muscles continues to reduce during an extended break from FitClub.
- Loss of memory. If you’ve been exercising for some time, you may have noticed that your workouts improve your mental energy and memory, in addition to your physical wellbeing. A 10-day hiatus in your exercise regimen can negatively affect the part of your brain that controls memory and emotion. Exercise also greatly reduces stress, and during this busy time with family and friends, stress reduction is essential to enjoying your holiday season.
- Increased fat. After six weeks of inactivity, you might notice the number on the scale inching up or you clothes not fitting as well as they did. Weight gain during the holidays is common, but avoidable. Making healthy decisions at holiday parties, fitting in a workout at FitClub, and drinking plenty of water can help you avoid the holiday weight gain.
If you’re thinking of taking a break from your workout regimen and starting over with a New Year’s Resolution next month, consider the negative effects on your body and mind. Even during the holiday season, you can take steps to make sure you have time to fit in your workout. Plan a workout or a group exercise class before work to eliminate any scheduling conflicts later in the day. If you don’t have time for a full-scale workout, make the most of what time you do have by throwing in a HIIT workout to maximize your time and the value of your workout.
When 2017 rolls in, you’ll be in great shape to tackle even more challenging resolutions!